Popcorn Time for the web brought the torrent streaming service to web browsers, removing the need to download and use the app. However, following legal threats, the service went down. Then 24 hours later, new developers picked up the project and brought the service straight back to life. The original two domains shut down following pressure from media lawyers, and now Browser Popcorn has taken their place.
Speaking with The Verge, the site's original creator said that he has handed over Browser Popcorn to a friend “maybe permanently”. The original creator is actually just 15 years old, the new owner of the site has a little more life experience, being 35 years of age.
The site went down on Tuesday and reappeared yesterday morning. Initially, Browser Popcorn was going to switch from being a Popcorn Time for the web to a genuine, legal movie recommendation site but that plan changed pretty quickly, with the site now handed over to a new developer and serving pirated material once again.
The site is now on a new domain and attempting to avoid being taken down yet again. However, media companies are pretty aggressive in pursuing legal action so this won't be the end of it.
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KitGuru Says: Given the fact that we have legal services like Netflix around, it is hard to justify Popcorn Time. However, it would be nice of more media companies got on board with streaming and made content more widely available, preferably around the time it initially airs.
KitGuru Says: Given the fact that we have legal services like Netflix around, it is hard to justify Popcorn Time
KitGuru says stupid things, KitGuru asumes everyone lives in an area where those legal services exist. KitGuru doesnt do its homework. KitGuru takes the easy road and write what they want.
What if streaming sucks, and drm free downloads work way better? What if people don’t want to pay for a service that sucks, or as sanelcar points out doesn’t even exist?
Bah.
So your saying….where no legal services exist ….its ok to do something illegal?
My popcorntime app doesnt work since yesterday, it shuts down automatic with a message that the app doesnt work. Does someone has the same problem here?
It’s hardly copyright infringement if no-one in your jurisdiction holds the right to distribution, and rights holders in other jurisdictions refuse to sell to you. In fact there isn’t any financial harm what-so-ever in that case, as literally no-one could make money from the content in this situation – so even if you’re found guilty of a breach of law (not a crime since copyright is civil, although the USA doesn’t act like it) they cannot reasonibly find that there is any damages.
Please if you can reach popcorn time….you can reach a service that holds the rights to distribution.
Accessing netflix from a country that doesn’t have it is still arguably illegal, and they can kick you for breech of terms. Why pay for that?
And my comments extend to piracy in general, not just popcorn time.
“However, it would be nice of more media companies got on board with streaming and made content more widely available, preferably around the time it initially airs.”
“Airs”? What strange verb is that? Media companies will get on board with streaming and launch shows first, last and only on streaming as broadcast and cable collapse. Anyone who is “airing” something is still committed to broadcast, so why would they do a simultaneous streaming launch and cannibalize what’s left of their audience?